She's In The Class A Team
by Micchie Bean
Summary: AU, Traught; She was alone, kicked out in the middle of the night, in the world's most dangerous city. Intoxicated, wearing only the skimpiest clothing, and the winter night bit at her skin. What was she to do? Will turn M in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

The large man clenched tighter on the end of the arm chair. "Where is my money, _Artemis_?" he all but growled at her.

"Daddy I'm sorry, but it's been slow this week!" she muffled through her tears.

"BULLSHIT. Bull shit bull shit bull shit!" he screamed as he delivered a forceful blow to her right eye. Artemis cowered after she let out a high pitched yelp. "It's near the _Holidays_, Artemis. Business is booming this time of year. Everyone else was able to make their payment." dragging her by the hair, he lifted her up, "Where is _yours_?"

"I don't have any money!" she yelled out, as she clung to his wrist to release pressure from her head. The blonde stared in to the others. The same grey dark eyes, from the man she hated so much. Her own father, who ran a harem, and forced his two daughters in to it. What kind of a man can do that? Not only was he a pimp, but a famous one. He had connections nearly everywhere, and he could just about get away with everything. Like how he got away with their mother. Artemis was dead set that he not only crippled her, but also killed her. Her mother, a famous hooker in these parts of Gotham, under the name as "Huntress", was murdered nine months ago. Now that she was gone, Artemis was forced to join "The Shadows" as her dad called it, and took it on as her full time job.

Her sister, Jade, left her when they were little, to only be found out that she was working for her father all along. It made sense. The older would leave money for her monthly, and she wondered how exactly she got it. But once again, like the Cheshire cat she was, she vanished. And how she escaped Sportsmaster, she did not know, and only hoped she would come back for her.

Artemis was once a prideful soul, but she was downgraded to filth since the age of fifteen. At eighteen, she experimented with drugs, and now at twenty-two, she was highly known in the bad parts of Gotham (which part of Gotham wasn't bad, anyways?), the daughter of the notorious Sportsmaster, and a whore worth a few.

After what seemed like forever, Lawrence spat in her face, dropping her and kicking her towards the door. "I give you food, a home, clothes, and this is how you repay me? Go. I don't want to see your face."

"But it's the middle of Winter! At four AM!" she protested

"Go Artemis!" the man roared his final demand before she was kicked out.

The hooker didn't know how cold it was until she was about two minutes outside. It was worse too, a bra that nearly covered her tits, and a mangled thong. If the cops came by, they'd arrest her for sure. While under the light of the lamppost, she had a mental breakdown. Not only did her father beat her that day, he also starved her for two days. She had no money on hand, and the nearest location she stashed her money was on the other side of Gotham. There was no way she could reach it before she passed out from the cold or hunger. Also, she needed a hit of crystal meth. With the money she has earned, not only did she do crystal meth, but plenty of other A-Class drugs too.

Her hands trembled from the cold and lack of the drug running through her system, as she wept silently. On top of that, she also had to worry about her rent. Yes, her father gave her a place to stay, but she had to pay for everything. And her landlord was pissed, missing rent for the about the hundredth time. Leaning in to the pole, she kept in her sobs, mascara staining her face. Though more than cool to the touch, she rested on the pole, feeling fatigue. Desperate, she spotted a cigarette on the ground. It didn't look too warn down, and hey, a cig's a cig. Pulling out her lighter she had tucked neatly under her elastic hair holder, she fumbled with it, flicking it several times before it lit. She sucked deeply on it, breathing in the nasty taste. For now, it would ease her slightly before she found out exactly what to do.

Hopefully, someone would see her and hopefully pick her up. After she treated them, she'd had enough money, maybe steal some food an extra money, some clothes, and she'd set out again. But in all honestly, she'd probably chase them away. She was in no state to be doing her job, and if someone did approach her she would most likely snap. It was difficult to act seductive when all the pressure was dropping on you. The cigarette she had ended, put with no avail she tried breathing in the nonexistent left over. She stomped on it barefoot. She closed her eyes, catching a quick rest on the pole. She wasn't falling asleep, just giving her eyes a rest from all the crying she did. Still, the tears rolled down her face, and small whimpers from every now and then fled from her lips.

* * *

The man breathed into his ripped gloves, trying to warm them up. He was tired, tired of all the shit he went through for this one girl. He and his girlfriend-,_ex_, ex-girlfrend Barbara have had a rocky on-and-off relationship for years now, but he was pretty sure after tonight they'd never cross paths again. After a small fight, Dick decided to take her out to a really nice dinner that even ballroom dancing. The night was going well, but he said something that really set her off edge. In fact, it was actually so small that he didn't even know what he said, but the argument turned in to a verbal brawl, and the two were forced out of the restaurant. The fight even followed them home to their place, to the point it lasted to hours. She said somethings, so did he, and some of them he didn't regret. Such as the fact she was a totally jealous bitch, but she brought up his parents. Some objects were thrown around, he ended up with a punch in jaw from her, and Babs could hit _hard._ The ending was him getting kicked out of his own home, and he had two hours tomorrow to collect his things. It was now four am, and he found himself wandering around Gotham.

He'd have to ask Bruce for a place to stay for a while, before he got back up on his feet. For now, he knew everyone would be asleep, and he'd sneak back in to his old room. Bruce was an oddball; he kept Dick's room the same, and would never touch it. He had enough rooms, so he guessed it didn't really matter to him. But the quirk never failed to grace Dick's lips with a smile. But the grin fell as quick as it came, as he realized he was in the shadier parts of Gotham. His place was on the other side of the city from Wayne Manor, but he's been in tighter situation.

He wasn't sure if he was just weary, or if his eyes laid on an angel in distress. The girl was obviously a mess; her mane of hair bunched in a high bun with strands falling from it. Her lips pale and almost white, and the girl was visibly shaking. She's been crying, her eyes red and mascara marks showing her tear trails. Dick felt something tighten in his chest when he saw what the girl was wearing. He took his coat off before placing it on the girl's shoulders. "Miss, are you alright?" his voice heavily laced with concerned.

"I-I...I don't know..." her usual powerful voice was meek and quiet.

The raven-haired bunched his brows in consideration. "Would you-" he made sure if this was the right thing to do. "Would you like to come home for me?" he asked her.

She only looked up with him, mouth slightly agape, one brow raised. Her frustration was plastered obviously on her face. "Are you _fucking_ kidding me? What kind of a man are you to take home a girl with emotional issues, no less fuck her then kick her out in the mor-"

Quickly he cut her off "No! What? Oh God no! I worded that wrong no! Gah-Look," he rambled "It's way too cold out here, _look_ at what you're wearing! I meant just to give you a place to stay, I _don't_ want to have sex with you!"

"Well_ that_ really boosted my confidence. Thanks."

He was having a troubling time with the girl. "Look. I was just being a good person. I would have gave you clothes, a warm bed, just because it was a good thing. But if you're pride is too big and you don't want to be stricken as the "charity case" type, I get that. Don't take my offer then." he barked out a bit too harshly as he stormed off. Over his shoulder he called out to her, "Keep that coat!"

Less than two seconds after he walked off, her voice shouted to him. "Wait!"

Turning, Dick gave her a smirk. "Changed your mind?" Artemis avoided his gaze, looking at the ground. His smirk lightened though when he saw her. She gave a tiny tilted nod, so he walked over and placed his arm around the woman he met for briefly three minutes. He tried to warm her up, who knows how long she's been out here like this. "You know," his voice was kind and quiet, so quiet that only the two could hear. "-it's not bad asking for help once in a while. We all need it, and admitting that you do only makes you stronger." In return she gave him a small lopsided smile, and while he looked at her even the smile knew she wasn't happy. Sad, but grateful. He figured it was right for him to take her home.

After all, it is too cold out here for angels.

* * *

**dskhmdajl, okay Traught is my secret OTP. It is my guilty pleasure. I am so sorry, but you know. Dem Gotham kids gotta stick together you know what im sayin?**

**But anyways, I was listening to "The A-Team" by Ed Sheeran (and if you haven't hear it yet, go listen to it. It's beautiful) and then an actual plot came to my head! It actually took my a while before I choose which characters. I was thinking Zee and Dick, or Babs and Dick, Wally and Art, Rauqle and Kal, Art with Roy, or even Roy and Chesh  
**

**Also I love Babs dearly I'm just doing this to her cause it's needed for story plot BUT I REALLY LOVE BABS OKAY SO DONT BASH ME ON THAT  
**

**But yeah I plan on it to be really heavy and dark and depressing because of well things but it will be happy in the end  
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**i think  
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**probably not  
**

**my endings usually turn out bitterssweet  
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**teehee whoops  
**

**but I ended up picking these two  
**

**I also abused the power of italics in this chapter. I am so sorry.  
**

**But anyways, I can't stress this enough, but please please please please please review! I really want to know what you guys think of my writing! And if I keep the characters well, haha, in character and if I can improve my writing! Seriously guys. This is very important to me!**


	2. Chapter 2

Artemis shook underneath the coat. She felt at any moment she would pass out, and all she wanted to do was eat. And sleep. And get high. But no, this strange man was holding her and trying his best to keep her warm. And she hated it. Artemis wasn't the damsel in distress type of gal, but with her situation there wasn't much she could do. Her eyelids drooped heavily, and her leg buckled out from under her. Her stomach gnawed, pinching at odd distortions. The blonde dropped to her knees, clutching her belly. Her face was contorted with pain, and she hardly noticed Dick stooping to her level. "Hey, you okay?" he asked her rubbing her back in small circles. She nodded weakly to his question.

"Fine. Just need to...rest."

His lips dropped in a frown, his eyes shining with worry. "No you're not. Here." Scooping her up in his arms, she let out a small gasp.

"I didn't agree to this."

"Okay."

"Sooo...?"

"So?"

"So put me down!" she hissed her command.

"Nope!" he shone this shit-eating grin that she felt like smacking right off.

"I thought a gentlemen listened to a lady's request." she quipped back.

"A gentlemen wouldn't let a lady walk while in pain." he nodded with a smug grin. That only made him scowl, which he dared to laugh at. Looking down at her face he forced himself to put on a fake frown. "Aw, don't be like that!" She only huffed back. The action made him laugh even more.

"Okay. That's it. Put me down. I'm going to my place. Nice knowin' you." she said weakly as she was about to hop out of his arms.

"No no, I'll stop, I promise." his grip tightened on her.

"You're quite annoying, you know that? I don't even know your name."

"I'm chatty, it's part of my charm!" he flashed another bright smile with a slight shrug. "And I don't even know your name. But the name's Dick."

Artemis' head shot up at his, an amused expression covering her face. "_Dick?_ Alright, I think it's my turn to laugh."

He frowned. It was so tiring being made fun of for his name. Terrible nicknames that he'd rather not bring up, mind you, carried all throughout high school, even college. "My name does me justice, _if you know what I mean_." he waggled his eyebrows, before mentally slapping his forehead. He really needed to stop hanging around Wally.

She snorted before rolling her eyes. "Yeah, _sure_." after some thought she said quietly. "Artemis. My real name...also my 'other' name, _if you know what I mean._" she imitated him at the last part of her sentence.

He nodded. "Artemis, goddess of the hunt. And moon. And ironically, virginity. Bet that last one doesn't do you any good, huh?" he visibly winced at his own joke. "Sorry, that was a little mean."

Her eyes grew sad, with a matching set of a smile. "No...it's fine." she let out a bitter laugh. "I actually use it as a part in my gig."

"How much has this girl gone through?" Of course, there was many young girls fed to the cold, greedy streets of Gotham, that forced them to do the unspeakable jobs. Dick hated it, and he felt incredibly spoiled while he grew up in a large, safe mansion while these girls were forced to sell their bodies just to eat. "Do you...do you want to do your job?" as soon as the question escaped his lips he felt immediately stupid. Of course she doesn't want to do her job! "I, uh, don't answer that..."

"Oh! Look! We're here!" He said a bit too loudly, relieved to be saved from the embarrassment by his own home. The inky haired male smirked at the lady's shocked expression. Walking up the steep hill, it was no challenge for him. She was incredibly thin, her bones poking through. He could tell she was once beautiful, and it still lingers, but years of grief has ruined her. Her lips were chapped, and hollowed in eyes. Deep dark circles lined the bags from under her eyes. He wondered if all them were like this, and he wanted to help them so desperately. He made sure to have a word with Bruce later about holding a charity event.

He set her down as he approached the door, and hurried with the lock as he felt her lean on him. Opening the wide doors of Wayne Manor, he softly grabbed her hand, pulling it inside. He placed a finger over his lips, symbolizing for her to keep quiet. "I have a big family, and some of them are really light sleepers. Like...really _really_ light." She nodded her understanding. He dragged her up the stairs, in to an almost boyish looking room. Her eyes landed on a small shrine about Clark Kent, a famous reporter in Metropolis.* Odd person to idol, but hey, the man was giving her a place to stay.

His room was oddly decorated, with many posters, but the one that caught her eye was the large "Flying Graysons" poster above his king size bed. Must be a collectable. That's what rich folk did with their money, right? She sat on his bed, and smiled at him.

"I'm going to get you some food, okay? You can have a shower, if you want. Or not. I don't care. Just," he sighed after his mini ramble, "Do what makes you comfortable." he shot another smile her way before hi head disappeared behind the door.

She blinked, and waited 'til Dick was out of hearing. Artemis quickly hopped up, searching for the drawers of any sign of money. He had to have some cash somewhere. She scuffled through shelves, looking in obvious places any normal person would hide their money. But no, she couldn't find any money in the large room with the amount of time he only gave her. He popped back in, hands full of snacks and...is that...a plate of waffles? Tucked between his chest and a bag of doritos was a change of clothes.

"Sorry, I picked out a few snacks I thought you'd like." his eyebrow raised. "What were you doing?" He asked eyeing her. She was on top of a fairly large shelf, through mid-way climb. "I! Um. Looking!" which wasn't a lie, but not the end of it.

"Well get down from there, you monkey! Come see what I got you!" he exclaimed while dumping his food supply on the bed. Artemis quickly hopped off, licking her lips at the sight of food. "I got you some waffles," his mind wandered to his spunky adoptive sister, who always made sure Alfred kept the freezer stocked with waffles. "some crackers, doritos, popcorn, apples, gotta stay healthy, you know, um, bread sticks..." she smiled while the man went off listing all the food he brought in for her. She settled on the bowl of pasta, trying her best to eat properly in front of him. Seeing her hold back, he decided to speak "You know, you can actually eat. I don't care." and he showed her that he was telling the truth by eating a cookie whole. Sprinkles and crumbs tumbled from his lips. She let out a laugh, and he liked that sound from her mouth. "Oh!" he muffled through the cookies, swallowing it as he twisted around. "I got these for you. There my sister's, but they should fit." She patted his shoulder in thanks, before heading to the bathroom to change.

Dick grabbed his remote, turning on the TV to the movie "Thor." She opened up a bit, saying her favorite character was Loki. He asked why, reminding her that he was the bad guy. His personal favorite was Thor. "It's because I know what it's like to be second favorite." but she lightened the mood quickly, "Plus he wears green, my favorite color." Near the end of the movie, her voice piped up again, asking him about sleeping arrangements.

He pondered for a moment, and then turned to her. "You know. I haven't even thought about that."

Artemis shrugged him off, and stretched up to leave. "I'll just sleep on the couch." she thought about the idea, remembering him mentioning a big family. "Don't worry, I'll leave before anyone wakes up." she looked at the clock, seeing it was 7:34. "...Have any couches that the family doesn't see?" the blonde needed her sleep, and traveling back to her place would be too exhausting.

"No! No it's fine, I'll sleep on the couch. You can sleep in my bed!" Dick suggested while patting the bed.

"No I couldn't possibly kick you out of your own bed. After all what you've done for me."

"But-" he didn't finish, as he looked in deep thought. He knew Stephanie and Damian liked to wander and check _every_ room _every_ day. Just for fun. He groaned at his sibling's curiosity.

She shot him a look. "You know...I don't know about you, but I'm sorta used to sharing a bed..." her face turned red as the words flew from her mouth.

Dick laughed. Artemis was getting tired of him laughing at her, and she grew impatient. "The bed is big enough. I'll sleep on the top cover." She agreed to the suggestion. The twenty-two year old crawled in the bed, letting the covers swallow her in to their warmth. Dick went around the room, making sure the food was cleaned up and turning off the lights. No less than ten minutes later, the bed's weight shifted ever so slightly as he crawled in to his bed.

"Dick?" she called out, while sleep was ready to drift her away. The light was seeping slowly in to the room, turning it a steely hue of blue.

"Yeah?" he answered, just as tired as she was.

"Thank you." she mumbled, before she finally surrendered. Though she didn't see it, a smile tugged on the corner of his lips.

"No problem.

* * *

***I know Dick has a Superman shrine in his room SOMEWHERE, and since I decided that none of them would have powers, no Justice League, I wanted to include the shrine cause teehee, so I madse it just Clark :3**

**Gah so this was just a filler chapter and I don't really like it BUT I'm really excited about the next one! And I know I haven't updated "The End Of Many Lovers" in about...hmmm...forever! But I will get on that soon.  
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**Also, I'm going to be at the beach with a friend for two days; tomorrow and Tuesday. But when I get back I'll update for both!  
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**So, check out my other stories, and review! :D  
**


	3. Chapter 3

All of the Wayne children were nosy; with their born detective kills and the paranoia that Bruce rubbed off on them, riddles and mysteries were fun to little ones. But when the nosiest, spunkiest, and blondest of them all nearly encountered a near-fatal incident, this mystery was no fun at all.

It started out as any normal Saturday, her early bird-like qualities rose her at eight on the dot, thanks to her trusty alarm clock. And following procedure, she raced downstairs, Alfred already working on breakfast for the Wayne bunch. And like any other normal Saturday, she opened their large freezer, waiting for her eyes to land on her oh so precious waffles. But it wasn't like said normal Saturday morning, and her eyes didn't lay on waffles precisely, but only one mere frozen delight was inhibiting the freezer. Blinking once, then twice, it had to be a dream! She made sure she had eight extra waffles left! No one ate her favorite food other than her.

This led Stephanie on an investigation. Grabbing the ladle that laid ready for her command on the kitchen island, she whipped it towards Alfred. "Did you do this to me? Was it you, Alfred? How could you do this to me, Al? We were tight!" her voice rose at the end of her sentence. He only shot her a confused look, before he himself peered in the fridge.

"Hmm...I do see we have run out of waffles. Don't fret, Miss Stephanie. I'll head to the store today and restock on your beloved waffles." he hummed while pouring syrup on pancakes for a groggy Tim.

She gasped at his offer. Stephanie couldn't wait 'til tomorrow! Is he crazy! "But Alfred! I need to put whoever did this to me to justice!" she pumped her fist on the air, slightly mocking Bruce. She shot Tim a dirty look, as he happily indulged on his pancakes. With two fingers pointed at her eyes, she turned her wrist so they were pointed at Tim, giving him the classic 'I've got my eyes on you' gesture. Confused on her sudden anger towards him, he just stuck his tongue out at her, used to the tactics Stephanie pulled.

With blonde hair whizzing behind her, Stephanie ran full speed up the stairs, starting from the top floors down. She barged in to even the empty rooms, scanning the desolate rooms to see if a body was found in there. She would shut the door if no one was in sight, and continue down the never ending hall. When she approached Bruce's room, she stopped for a moment, knowing better than disturb her adoptive father. She loved him, but he made her uncomfortable sometimes. She felt as though he loved the others more, and treated them as said. The next room was Alfred, and you never. Ever. Go in his room. Ever. They dubbed it "Alfred's Quarters", from the story Jay told them once. He was the only brave enough to venture, and said there was more than one room in Alfred's keeping.

Steph searched Tim's room, trying to find any evidence of her missing waffles. She then scampered out, and was about to go yank Cass' door open before it swiftly opened herself. She saw a tired, messy, and dull-faced Cassandra with chocolate brown eyes that bore in to her own sky blue ones. "How did you-"

"Knew you were coming."

"Right. Did you-?"

"No. Ask Jason." she responded to Steph's cut off question. With a fierce nod, she patted her friend on the head before speeding off to Jason's room. Yanking the door open, she marched over to his bed side. Roughly shaking him awake, she chanted his name. The sixteen year old cracked his eye open, slurring incoherent words that were most likely curses. "It's eight in the god damn morning. What do you want?" he questioned, flipping over to face her.

She kept her glare focused on him. "I'm going to ask you once, and only once. Where did my waffles go? Did you eat them?" she jabbed an accusing finger at him.

He groaned loudly in annoyance. "Oooohhh myyy Gooood, Stephanie. I did not eat your waffles. Not get out of my room, you brat." he turned back over and chucked a pillow at her, which she caught with her stomach. The blue-eyed teen only stomping out of his room. Damian's room was at the end of the hall, and it had to be him. He loved picking on her, but he went too far with this one. Still, she continued to open every door that led to his, searching for the demon child. When she was at her oldest brother's room, she kicked the door open for dramatic effect. Even she knew he loved to linger in the oldest room. Seeing nothing of the youngest, she headed out, only to see something that was _way _more interesting than finding the culprit.

In the bed were two lumps, the one farthest from her larger and more masculine, soft snores rumbling from it. The other was tinier, much tinier, as it was curled in a ball, and locks of sun-blonde hair pillowing over. Careful on her feet, she snuck towards the smaller form, lifting the covers ever so slightly to reveal a face of a sleeping woman. She was older than her, but still young, and was certainly not the owner of the bed's girlfriend. Did they break up? Why didn't he tell them! Babs was like family! Or what if they didn't break up! But he would never cheat on her...would he? Thought such as those ran through her head, as she quickly jolted out of the room.

Now racing down the stairs, Stephanie was looking for her two best friends. "Is everything alright, Miss Stephanie?" Alfred let out a polite chuckle. "Did you find the suspect?" she shook her head to his question, her eyes wide with surprise. Seeing Tim and Cassandra reading the same newspaper, she grasped their wrists, trying to trudge them along.

"Stephanie! I'm not even done eating!"

"You would still be eating in five hours if it wasn't for me, I need to tell you guys something!" she added in a hush whisper. Catching the suspicious glance of their faithful butler, she added in an uneasy chime. "We're just going to the garden, Alfred!"

Dragging a grumpy Tim and a confused Cass, she stopped in their bedroom's hallway. "Can I trust you guys?"she muttered seriously.

Tim only rolled his eyes, while Cassandra nodded.

"I have discovered something..." she paused, trying to create a build up. "Something very terrible, and only us can know..." she caught them both nodding, urging her to go on. "Dick...well...let's just say..." she sighed, before blurting out, the words spewing out of her. "Dickbroughthomeagirl!" and quickly covered her mouth, her eyes shifting from one of them to the other.

"What happened to him and Barbara?" Tim asked worriedly, and she could see the same reflecting in Cass' eyes. Stephanie only shrugged, and the twelve year old were left to their thoughts.

"Dickie's got himself a new girl?" all three of them gasped at the new voice that joined them. "Good; told him she was a total bitch." Jason muttered. Tim narrowed his eyes at him in warning, covering Cassandra's ears.

"At least he can get a girlfriend." Tim retorted.

"Who said I wanted a girlfriend?" Jason sneered at him.

"So you want a boyfriend?"

"What? No! I just don't want a girl friend. I'm more of the...'friend with benefits' type of guy..." he smirked and threw them a wink.

Tim's lips curled in disgust. "Too much information, much?" which only caused Jason to burst in to laughter.

"Hey..." Jason started, his voice dripping with mirth. "Did you guys ever think about how Damian would react to this?" his eyes glinted mischievously. Stephanie's eyes widened, knowing exactly where her older brother was heading with this. But he caught sight of her realization. "No way, blondie! I call dibs!"

"Not if I get thee first~" she yelled, hopping from her crouching position.

"Nope!" he called out, sprinting out in front of her. Jason entered Damian's dorm, to see him awake and cuddled next to that huge monster of a dog Bruce gave him. He was watching...what was that, some animated Avengers cartoon? Jason snapped his attention now to the annoyed six year old. "So Damian...heard the news yet?" he sported his lopsided grin, his voice calm and collected.

Damian huffed "What are you rambling about, Todd?"

"Oh you know-"

"-DICK GOT A NEW GIRLFRIEND!" Jason winced at the shrill of a voice, the blonde jumping out in front of him. Hearing the growl, she smiled sheepishly at him. "Whoops. Spoilers." she added before returning to the hallway.

Jason only growled, but then did his best to stifle a laugh at Damian's reaction. His face was contorted, his brows furrowed in, and hi lips turned up in a scowl/ "But, why? Why waste his time with woman? They do nothing but distract the hormonal male mind." he agreed with himself, slight confusion seeking in. Jason only shrugged, wishing he had a camera to record the six year old. "Does father know?"

The sixteen year old shook his head. "Nah, let Dick tell him himself, kay kid?"

* * *

Artemis' eyes bolted opened, cold sweat dripping down. The same nightmare cursed her dreams, and she was filled with panic while laying in the comfortable bed. She looked around at her surroundings, until she remembered where she was. Turning to see Dick laying almost comically, sprawling over his bed slight drool trickling from the edge of his lips. She thought about wiping it off for him, but decided on making an escape route. Twisting her waist to leave, a large hand caught her wrist. Her breath was stuck in throat, and she angled her neck to see Dick waking up. "Where are you going?" he muttered, his eyes still closed.

"Um, nowhere?" her voice was higher than usually, a tendency that happened when she lied.

"It's ten in the morning, get some sleep." she only nodded to her request, for it was too early to head out anyways. The bed creaked, and soft pats on the floor alarmed her that he got out of the bed.

"And where are you going?" she asked half mockingly, half curious.

"Bathroom. I'll be right back."

"I'll miss you." she cooed teasingly.

"I'd expect nothing less." he quipped back.

* * *

Dick softly shut the door, jogging down the hall to his adoptive father's studies. He was clacking away at the computer, as Dick rolled his eyes at Bruce's typicalness. Even with the man facing away from him, Bruce knew his son had entered, catching his reflection in the corner of his reading glasses. The older man swiveled his chair to face him, and a welcoming grin was smacked on his face. "Dick, it's been too long. How are you Barbara?" the taller made small talk, though he had a good feeling of the answer to his won question.

Richard sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well...let's just say I might need a place to stay for a while...is that...alright?" he asked cautiously, hating how he had to live with his parent again.

Bruce's usually cold features melted in to something more sympathetic. "Of course. Everyone would think that's alright." his voice soft for his oldest.

The twenty-two year old let a sigh of relief escape, and then sat down. "There's also something else I want to talk to you about." Bruce only nodded, and waited patiently. "Last night, I brought home a prostitute."

Dick watched Bruce's facial expressions, a quick whiff of shock was wiped away with slight disappointment. "Well Richard, I have to say, I'm not exactly okay with this decision, for Barbara was a very nice young lady. Plus, some have diseases-"

"Bruce! No!" he slightly raised out of his chair, sticking out a hand as if to stop him. "I didn't have sex with her! It was really cold out and she could have died out there if I didn't take her home, you see?"

The middle-aged man felt his chest bust with pride, knowing how well of a man his son adjusted to. But still, there was faults through his son's innocent intentions. He had to worry about his younger children, most likely Jason who'd try to bring one home. He pinched his nose, seeing the teenager saying that if Dick got to bring one home, he could too. "So I'm guessing there's a reason behind you're telling me this?"

Dick shot a coy smile. "Oh Bruce. Getting right to the point. Well I was thinking..." he stretched out, grabbing a stray pen and doodled as he talked. "This upcoming Wayne Charity ball, we could take the proceeds for trying to get girls like the one I took home."

"-Dick," he cut him off. "Most people won't agree to that. They are considered, well, the trash of the city. Plus, they chose that life style."

"You don't know that! I mean- we would find them jobs, were they don't have to do that." his voice was straining.

"Dick, you can't stop something that's been around for many years."

"Like crime?" the younger challenged. Bruce was slightly taken aback at the comment, but kept his cool.

"I'll think about it. I can't make this decision right away."

"I know Bruce, I know. It was just an idea."

"A good idea, don't forget that though. But remember what type of people the wealthier class of this city are like. It'd be extremely difficult for them to jump on board." noticing his ward's crestfallen face, he added, "And Dick? It's good to have you back."

* * *

**Im baaack~**

**Did I mention how much I love the Batbrats? Cause I do. And Tim and Cass and Steph are like the powerpuff girls of three musketeers THEYRE JUST ALL BFFLS IN MY WORLD OKAY  
**

**And Damian loves Marvel and now while typing I just made two references Marvel in this story teehee  
**

**But I'll update The End Of Many Lovers tomorrow.  
**

**I think.  
**

**But review, check out some other stories, and you the drill! :)  
**


	4. Chapter 4

"She's pretty! Should we wake her up?"

"I dunno. Try poking her."

"Guys, leave her alone. Just admire the view of Dickhead's new booty call."

"Shut up you idiots. The harlot is waking up."

"Damian, don't use that word."

"Tt."

Artemis' face was scrunched up in confusion, shuffling a bit to dig her head deeper in the pillows. Voices muttered from nearby, and she was way too tired to put up with the nonsense. Cracking an eye open, her sight laid on five children. Feeling slightly creeped out that they were watching her while she slept, the tanned woman lifted herself up, trying to tame her wild mane of hair. "Um, may I help you?"

The blonde of the group stepped forward, hands on her hips. "Yeah, you can help us! Who are you, and what have you done with Barbara?!" her lower lip jutted out and leaned forward. Artemis only blinked at her question. Barbara? Who was that? "Well?" she called again.

A boy about her height with dark hair pinched his nose with letting out a deep sigh. Grabbing her shoulder he yanked her back gently, and stood in front of her. "What she means is," the boy with the crew cut looked back at the blonde, who only shifted her gaze towards the ground, burning holes in it. "Is if it isn't any too much trouble, we'd like to know who you are." The tallest snorted, and the boy who spoke before only twitched a bit at his reaction.

"A-Artemis...and you are?" she was not liking the feeling of these kids, they seemed like a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.

The boy spoke once more. "I'm Tim, that's Stephanie," jabbing his thumb at the blonde, "That's Cassandra," a nod towards another girl around his height, with dark skin and shiny black hair. She reminded Artemis of her sister at the familiar traits. "This here's Jason," a point at the oldest one, "And this guy's little Damian." he finished, by clasping his hands on the shoulders of the one in front of him.

"I'm not little, you ignorant-" he growled, trying his best to shrug the older's hands off, but to no avail.

"Hush Damian." Tim quickly cut him off.

Slowly, she nodded to them, before glancing over next to her, to see if the man who saved her last night was still there. "Where's Dick?" noticing he wasn't there, but more importantly seeing it was growing dark out. "No, no, I take that back, what_ time _is it?" her voice growing frantic, as she hopped up to look for her things. Everyone was supposed to check in with her father at eight 'o clock, and it was nearly a death wish to be late, or worse, not arrive at all.

Stepping in the bathroom, she ripped the shirt off that nearly covered her torso. She changed back in her outfit, but grabbed one of Dick's coats so the little ones didn't have to see much. Stepping back out, she tossed the shirt to the spunky blonde, muttering, "I reckon this is yours?" Stepping in to the huge mansion hallway, she felt loss and small. Was it really necessary for this big of a house? "Um, like I said earlier, I need help finding Dick." she heard her own voice echo off the walls. Jason slid over to her, a slick smile plastered on his face. He stuck his arm out, as an invitation for her.

"I would be _honored _to help such a beautiful lady such as you." a tawny smirk settled, his eyes drooping in a charming way.

The blonde beauty rolled her eyes, and snorted. "Lead the way, _Romeo._" She ignored his arm, only to look around at the photographs that decorated the walls. Artemis detected a slight sadness in his eyes, most likely from the dejection, but he quickly covered it up, with that smirk of his.

After a few moments of silence, Jason spoke up a conversation. "Do tell, what do you see in Dick?" he asked almost bitterly, but she stepped around it. What was his name, Jackson? Jared?

"I don't see anything in him. He took me in while I was at my weakest, and for that, I'm forever grateful." she added quietly, her eyes landing on a picture of a younger Jason and Dick, smiling. "Why, jealous?" she deadpanned.

He shrugged cooly. "Nah, just wonderin' why a babe like you would be hanging around with a dork like my brother, when there's someone as hot as me." he flashed a cocky grin, similar to his brother's.

_"Did every punk in this house have that same grin?" _she thought to herself. She gave a critical eye towards him, a little on the young side, but wasn't too bad looking. Cold blue eyes, and jet black hair that fell in his eyes. She saw a bit of gray in them, desperately trying to flee from the black hair dye that she assumed he mixed in it. Artemis wondered why his hair like that, but settled with probably an accident. She kept her voice to herself though, and carried on to their topic. "A little young, don't you think?"

"Oh, it's perfectly fine. I like cougars."

"Who said I'm a cougar, kid?" she smirked when he flinched at the word 'kid', "In fact it's those older guys I'm digging." She threw in playfully.

"I'm not a kid..." he muttered, looking down as he was telling his shoes.

"Uh huh. Come to me in five years kid, maybe then I'll be a cougar." she patted his shoulder, and walked in to the kitchen he led her too. Dick was there, tossing a pizza in the air, while a taller man, with a trimmed mustache and straight posture was doing the same.

Seeing her, he neatly placed the dough down, and trotted over to her, closing her in a bone-crushing hug. It was unexpected and unwanted, but she couldn't seem to shrug the bigger of the two off. Out of the corner of the eye, she saw Jason make a hand pistol, and aimed it at his temple, quickly "triggering" it with his thumb, and dropped his head back, tongue rolling out of the side. He reached in to the refrigerator, before jogging out the room, shaking his head. Artemis chuckled quietly, before lugging the older off. "Didn't know you could make pizza." she mused, her eye brow raising slightly. Glancing at the clock, she remembered she needed to hustle out of there.

"Hey Artemis! How about you have dinner with us, meet my family!"

"Already did. Lovely." she bit out sarcastically. "Thanks, but no thanks. I need to head on out. Thanks for everything Dick." she hopped out, giving a small two finger wave. His mouth was opened, slightly out of his disappointment. He raced out after her, before she left.

"Wait! You have to go?"

"Yes, now stop giving me the puppy-dog look." She twisted the door handle, but stopped.

"Hey, um, Dick?" she asked hesitantly, biting her lower lip. "I was wondering..."

He crossed his arms, a knowing smile forming. "You need money, don't you?"

"That'd be great."

"Okay, okay. Only cause you did me great pleasure last night." He winked teasefully, earning a scowl from her. Pulling out five crisps hundreds out of his wallet, she nearly choked on air.

"Trustfund."

"Whore."

Artemis glared at him, before shutting the door in his face as a joke. He followed her outside. "Hey Artemis!" he called out, while she was already down the porch. "Maybe I'll, uh, see you around sometimes?" He wouldn't admit it, but she was a totally cool girl. Quite a challenge, with her feisty attitude, but he thought that's what made her herself.

"Dick-" she paused, waiting for his last name.

"Grayson."

"-Grayson, you sound like a nervous school boy talking to is crush." she turned around, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "But yeah, see you around."

He stood outside for a while, waving. Alfred stepped outside to accompany him. "Master Richard, do you happen to like this girl?"

"What? Come on, Alfred, no! I just took her home, it was below freezing last night!" he argued.

But the sly butler only nodded "Of course."

"But Master Richard?"

"Yeah?"

"She stole your coat."

* * *

Artemis reported to her dad, handing him two of the hundreds. One was for grocery, and the other two for more "important" matters. Now, it was around ten, and she was meting with an old friend, Roy Harper. At age thirteen, she was adopted in to the Queen family, along with their other adopted, Roy. A year after, he ran away, and the year after that she too did the same. It wasn't because she didn't love Ollie or Dinah, but because she did. Artemis knew her father would go after them, and she wasn't going to let them be a risk. They still sent her phone calls, trying to keep a loose relationship with her. But she couldn't face them, not anyways.

Roy on the other hand, went a little crazy a couple years back, rambling about how he had to "Find his real self." Long story short, according to Artemis' eyes, he became a hippie, growing his hair and not shaving, and soon later a junkie, addicted to heroin. Apparently he got in to that stuff before she moved in, and Ollie would never give him the time of day, and soon bruised him up when he found out. But her "uncle" changed, and even adopted her, but Roy still wouldn't have it. Now, he was just a wandering soul, prisoner to Gotham, and also, her dealer.

Artemis sliced the cocaine in tiny, nearly perfect lines with an old credit card. While done, she shared it with Roy, snorting the drug that helped her escape.

"You know," a pause while she wiped the white off her nose, "I almost died last night."

"What?!" his blue eyes wide in panic.

"Yeah, but this kid named 'Dick Grayson' took me home. Totally loaded too." she bent down for another dose.

"Oh my God, you met Dick Grayson?" her head shot up at her brother's remark.

"Yeah, you know him?"

"Do I know him? Only one of my oldest friends. Short, dorky, has this grin that gets under your skin?"

"Dorky, yeah, short, not at all. But the grin, I know _exactly _what you're talking about." She leaned back on the damp walls of his worn down apartment.

"Stay away from him, Artemis." he warned, with slightly crazed eyes.

She shook her head, knowing that sometimes the ginger rambled on about things, but decided to humor him. "Oh yeah? And why's that?"

"Not important. Just, please, stay away from him. Promise?" Raising her arms in surrender, she knew she was going to break that promise. Boy's got some serious dough, and she wouldn't mind some of it in the palm of her hands.

* * *

Artemis nestled in her bed, after taking a cold shower. It was always freezing, due to the others in the apartment. Plus at this time of year, hot water was scarce. Wrapping her damp hair in a towel, she laid down in bed. And that night, she couldn't sop thinking about the geeky grin and those clear blue eyes.

* * *

**Whoo chapter four!**

**I really have no idea how I'm going to end this (It's not any where soon about to end, by the way), I have a bunch of alternate endings, cause I can't choose! Message me if you have any ideas!  
**

**Also, don't be confused. This is a Traught story, and though as much as I love Jay and Art, they're going to be strictly bros. Or at least onesided JayArt. He'll try and pull a few moves, cause that's just him, plus it's those awkward tears of life for him, but don't worry ;)  
**

**Another thing, I was thinking maybe after this story I do one.) oneshots about their life after the story, and two.) Roy And Artemi's life before this. Cause they're the best bros ever. Tell me if I should!  
**

**Sorry guys, meant to get this up yesterday, but all the Godfathers and Scarface were on, and well, haha, I love mob movies!  
**

**But seriously guys, 15 reviews! This has been the most I've ever got! YOU GUYS are awesome!  
**

**Haha I used to have a life, like those stereotypical summer days where I went to the beach everyday, but I stopped cause you guys keep asking me for more chapters!  
**

**Unfortunately, some you aren't logged in, so I can't send you a PM, but, **

**to HappyNeverAfter: oh my gosh, thanks so much hun! This really means a lot to me, you have NO idea! And I love His song, oh my gosh. But seriously, I was doubtful with Arty, but thank you so much!  
**

**And to that wonderful Guest: ehjkgrkahaej YOU'RE SO GREAT! I'll try and post everyday, but I have school in two weeks, and it might be every other week. But I'll try to get another chapter done tonight. But I am not positive if I can post every day, cause I kinda wanna go hang with my friends before high school starts, instead of sitting in my room, if you understand. :')  
**


	5. Chapter 5

It's nearly been a week after her encounter with the goofy, yet sweet trust fund of a kid . Besides the night she arrived home or a few couple of times, he hardly passed her mind. In her defense, she was busy, from doing her job and dealing with Roy.

Especially this one client, who suddenly appeared out of the blue, and visited her nightly. He would usually throw an insult or two at her, and with Artemis' mouth, she couldn't help but bicker back, and loved watching him fluster like a fool. Sooner or later, she found them having angry sex. And if you asked her, he went a little too fast, but hey. Who was she to judge? If he liked rough sex and doing the job quickly, good for him. He paid well, and in this business, that's all what matters.

* * *

Dick on the other hand, could not get his mind off the mysterious woman he encountered. The way her hair fell below her waist, or the way her storm grey eyes flickered when she thought of a snippy reply. She was just…fun to be around. And Dick was one hell of a thrill seeker.

Sometimes he caught himself wondering around the streets he found her on, but to no avail, the bearcat was no where to be found. He looked everywhere for her, wandering the slums of Gotham and the shadiest of places. In fact, he found her in a place he would never expect her.

"Artemis!" his voice unusually high, as he saw her eyeing a book in one of Gotham's upper scaled book stores. It was certainly her hair; he could spot the golden waterfall from anywhere.

"Dick! I…uuhh…"

"How_ random_ that you're here! Instead of…you know…" he waggled his eyebrows, "and reading a, uh no, a child's book?"

"I'm, uh, here, to pick out a book for a friend! She um, loves…'The Giving Tree', here, in this book store." her voice slightly raised an octave at each word.

On the inside, he was laughing his ass off at her discomfort, and decided to play with her a bit. "C-O-O-L. Can I M-E-E-T her?"

Narrowing her eyes, she snapped back. "N. _O_."

Dick leaned on his left foot, an eye brow raised. "D-R-A-G."

"Yeah, just, tell me why you're here! The _real_ reason." she crossed her arms, wondering if he was stalking her or something. She remembered her brother's threat, but a simple chat couldn't be _that _bad…right?

"Ladies first~" he chimed, giving a low bow.

"This place was your town first, you go." placing her hands firmly on her hips, not putting up with the bull shit games he kept trying to play. Artemis noticed that creepy-ass grin was back on his face.

"Christmas shopping. Cassandra can't read, and she has started to grow to love books. Your turn."

"I don't have to tell you." she scoffed, before walking away. He jogged out in front of her, wagging his finger back and forth.

"Tsk tsk, Artemis, that wasn't very nice." he was now jogging backwards, his blue eyes staring at her. Artemis clutched the books tighter to her chest, attempting to shake off the little nut ball that kept following her. "I thought we had a deal!"

Artemis' lip raised in mild disgust. "I didn't shake hands on it."

"You need to stop scowling. It isn't very lady-like." He scolded.

"Okay, two things wrong with that. One, who says I'm a lady? And two, I wasn't raised in a mansion."

"Okay, I'll play your game. Two things wrong with that. One, I did. And two, neither was I." he chipped. "How about we go buy those books you got there?"

She only rolled her eyes at his positively. "Yeah, okay, you weren't raised in a mansion. Right. And I'm worth a million bucks." She muttered.

"You roll your eyes a lot. And neither was I. In fact, quite the opposite from a mansion." he said seeming distant, but continued on, "And I think you're worth a million bucks!" he piped.

"What were you born in, a barn? Ha. Farm boy Dick. That's something I'd like to see."

"Nope. Born and raised in a circus!"

"Hardy-ha, we get it you're a joker."

"But I'm not-"

"Hey look, there's the check out." Artemis pointed out as they saw the sign. Her pace quickened, trying her best to cut off Dick. "Finally I can get out of here."

"Or…not…" he muttered, while the check out was empty. "C'mon, they have a couple more around here some where." he gently tugged on her arm, guiding her towards another section. "So…whatchya getting' for your _friend_?" he questioned, peering over her shoulder to look at the books. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, cradling the books even closer.

Artemis had all these books once, they were what only remained of her shattered childhood. She would escape in to the marvelous adventures of books when things got rough. At a certain point of time, she was forced to sell them all, but now since she was earning money, she decided to treat herself to her own Christmas present.

"Well, we have 'The Giving Tree', as you saw earlier, 'Skippy John Jones', a personal favorite of mine, but the one that holds my heart is this." she explained, handing him all the books as mentioned.

"'Alice's Adventures In Wonderland'? Classic. Your _friend _has a good taste in child books." Dick muttered, ordering the books by size.

"Yeah, _she_ does." mumbling, she looked around at the book store. So clean, polished, and so welcoming. All so different from what she was used to, all so overwhelming.

"Hey Artemis, you seem distraught. You feeling okay?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, just-"

"You should get traught."

"What are you-"

"Hey look! Another register!" he bounced away, leaving Artemis with her thoughts. "Or not." Again, the counter was empty, which only irritated the blonde more.

With a pivot of the heel, she marched away, blonde tail whipping back and forth. A strand of her bangs fell in her face, which she only huffed away in annoyance. Her "loyal puppy" kept up with her pace, and she tried to hold back her grimace. Yeah, a quick talk was okay, but this was ridiculous. Did he bribe some of them with his richy-rich money to drive them away from their work stations? No wonder Roy told her to stay away from him.

"Aw, don't look so pissy, we'll find someone soon! This store's huge. There's a check out right over here." he responded with a smile.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're getting a kick out of my frustration, Grayson."

"Hey, you rhymed!"

She let out a hearty grunt at his childish quirks, turning a counter to another, yet again, empty counter.

"Or not."

"Would you _stop _saying that?!" She punched his arm. "You know? Forget it. I'm out of here." she placed the books on a nearby shelf, before storming out. The cold winter winds met her fiercely, but she trudged along the crowded streets. A warm hand rested on her shoulder, which she jerked off in surprise. She forgot that the man-puppy was tied to her on this invisible chain.

"Hey Artemis. I was wondering-"

"Are you stalking me?"

"No, I just wanted to ask you something." She twisted towards him, her hair whipping behind her. Artemis thought about smacking him to get him off her tail, but when he saw those ocean blue eyes, begging, pleading for her to listen to him, she lowered her hand. "Five seconds. That's all you have."

"Well as you know, who Bruce Wayne is, my father-"

"Of course I know-wait he's your _dad_?"

"-And how he hosts his charity balls, so I was wondering,"

"-Bruce Wayne is your _dad?"_

"So I was thinking if you wanted to come! Here's your invite!" he thrusted the invite at her chest, rocking back on his heels.

"Thanks, but no thanks." she shoved it right back at him.

"Why not?" he pushed it back again.

"Don't have a dress." back to Dick.

"I'll buy you one. Taking the girls to get their dresses on Tuesday." back to Artemis.

"No jewlrey." yet again towards Dick.

"I'll get you that too." the card was placed back in her hands.

"No ride."

"I'll arrange one."

"You don't know where I live." she handed the card back.

"Yes-"

"I'd like to keep it that way." she had her hand out in front of her, making sure the invite stayed with him, until he had a steady grip.

"You can choose a place for me to pick you up, and even come over to help get ready."

"Fine! I'll go to your stupid ball!"

"Good! I'll see you here at this time on Tuesday, right here! We'll talk about the event while shopping. Nice seeing you around, Artemis!" he yelled back, while merging in to the crowd.

Artemis was left stunned, staring back at the at surge of people, wondering what she just tangled herself in. How did he do that to her? "Has to be those eyes…" she muttered underneath her breath. Sighing, she pulled out her phone, typing in the number. She waited for about two rings until he picked up the phone.

"Roy? Yeah, I may have a slight problem. Remember when you told me to stay away from that Grayson kid? Yeah…about that."

* * *

**fghuyyt So I was trying to get my mom in to YJ and so I picked Home Front cause I remembered my Traught feels and oMG DICK YOU CREEP/TROLL YOU TOTALLY WAITED FOR HER YOU COULD'VE BEEN THERE FOR HOURS OMG**

**Also I don't own Young Justice, and the whole "C-O-O-L" and "or not" parts are not mine~~~**

**and anyways**

**this is a filler chapter teehee**

**expect more in the next**

**And if you're wondering why Arty was checking out little kid books, the real reason will be explained in the next chap. **

**my writing skills have been really drained cause I'm at my moms and a lot of crazy stuff happens here**

**It usually takes me like an hour maybe two to write a new chapter but it took my a course of over three days. yeyup. Also maybe cause of tumblr**

**BUT ANYWAYS  
TO THAT WONDERFUL GUEST**

**Cass is not a blonde, she has black hair. Here's a pic: 25 . media . tumblr tumblr_m8aqz4iQwS1rck5sko1_500 . jpg (remove spaces haha)**

**BUT MAYBE NEXT CHAPTER I'LL ADD ALL THOSE SWEETS YOU TOLD ME TO.**

**Anyways****. **

**Next chapter hopefully up tomorrow? :'D I dunno~~ I'm a terrible person~~~**


	6. Chapter 6

The young man didn't even try to hide his excitement, as he hollered for his siblings names. His voice was loud and powerful, reaching nearly every ends of the manor. It was a trait he picked up from his early life at the Circus. when Haly would shout for roll call. Often as a child he was scolded for it, but this odd ball was used to his yelling. The raven-haired gave a short excited hop, before swinging in to the large family room. "Yo kiddos," he called out, seeing Steph and Tim lounging on the couch. "Time to go." He heard an audible groan from the blonde, complaining their favorite show was on. Tim talked her out of it, while the two raced towards their older brother. Stephanie pounced the taller, clambering her way on to his back. The smaller inky-haired male gingerly grabbed his fingers.

"C'mon, Dick! Do we have to!"

"I Thought you liked shopping!"

"I do!"

"Then why are you complaining?!"

The girl tilted her head back, giving him a short 'duh'. "It's because I'm a girl, Dick! We're supposed to be complicated and stuff..."

Richard smiled at his sister. "Wanna know a secret?"

"Yeah!"

"Dudes don't really like chicks that are complicated."

"...Really?"

"Yes, but men don't like women who are fat. Good luck, Brown." Damian popped out of nowhere, grabbing at Dick's other hand. He sent a quick glare towards Tim.

"Damian, say you're sorry."

"Tt."

"Guys, come on. Santa won't visit you if you keep acting like this. Anyways, where's Cass? We gotta go."

"She was hanging out with Jason, last time I saw her." Tim answered politely, but Dick couldn't keep the frown of his face. As much as he loved Jason, he tended to ruin the innocent, the last thing Dick needed. "I can go get her, if you want?" the twelve year old offered, and Dick nodded to his offer.

Stephanie and Damian had a glare-match with each other, until the pale-skinned blonde broke it off, replacing her small pout with a devious grin. "So Dick, I can get _any_ dress I want?" Damian's brows furrowed together, trying to catch what angle she was playing at.

"Yup! Any color, any dress, the one you want. But only one." He placed her down, as he placed his coat on. Stephanie's smile stayed bright and wide, internally laughing at the six year old's jealous face. She stuck her arms out as Dick placed her coat on. He wrapped her fluffy eggplant-purple scarf snugly around her neck, also fitting her earmuffs on nicely. The twenty-two year old poked her chest, and until she looked down on it he flicked her nose up. "Grayson, why aren't you taking me?" Damian tugged on his brother's sleeve, his face pleading with anger and confusion thrown in to the mix.

"'Cause kiddo, we already got your suits. It's the girl's time to go get their stuff. Anyways, I think Alfred wants you." Dick snuck a glance up at the elderly man, which gave a curt nod of understanding back.

The youngest pouted, but reluctantly headed over to the butler, and they left the room. As soon as they left, Tim scurried down the stairwell, with a frantic looking Jason and a calm-as-ever Cassandra on his back. "I'm coming!" he called out in his gruff voice, pulling his jacket over his arm. He skipped the last three steps, landing with a small thud. "Now I know it's just you, Cass, and Steph, but you have terrible taste. I'm coming." he declared, strutting his way out the door. Dick only shook his head, as the four piled up in his car.

* * *

Artemis rested along the brick wall near the book store, a cigarette dangling from her plump lips. She's only been there for ten minutes or so, and she didn't feel like waiting forever. Dragging her phone out, she checked the time. Three o clock, the same as yesterday. She waited a while longer, but soon was fed up and headed to walk away. While walking away, someone grabbed her, and hugged her tight. "Hey, fuck off!" she shouted while a flash of light appeared.

Dick smiled at his phone, saving the photo. "We'll laugh about this some day..." he mumbled. Artemis' eyes dilated in anger. "Hey, remember what i said about being lady-like? 'Fuck' is not a nice word." he scolded her playfully, which she inwardly laughed at his antics. She spotted the most expensive looking car parked by the curb.

"That yours?" she asked, walking over to the nice, sleek black car. Catching his brief nod, she opened the passenger door, only too look in to the deep blue eyes of Jason Todd.

"Hey babe, this seat's taken, but if you really wanna sit here, my lap's open." he gave a cheesy smile, which she responded to by slamming the door in his face. The Vietnamese descendent opened the back door, met by two of the girls who woke her up that day she spent at Dick's. The dark-haired one scooted over to the middle, while the other eyed her cautiously.

"Didn't know we would be having company, Dick." she scoffed, and noticed the other one was staring at her too.

"You disappointed?"

"Not at all, quite relieved, actually." she muttered in to her hand.

The car ride was somewhat eventful, with Stephanie's endless chatter, Jason's hopeless flirting, Dick's corny comments, and Artemis' snarky remarks. Cass was quiet, keeping the same calm expression, and only whispering to Stephanie now and then. But the one topic that stole the cake for her was Dick and Jay's fight over the radio.

"Dude! That was my favorite song!" Jason cried out in protest as Dick switched the station.

"We are _not_ listening to Nirvana."

"Oh, and _Journey's_ better?" he crossed his arm over his chest.

He gave an outrageous reaction as if he's been personally insulted, "Journey is a great band!"

They continued bickering for about three minutes later, until Artemis unbuckled her seat belt and leaned over, flipping through stations until she found a good song. "The Rolling Stones dominates all."

No one dared to change the station.

* * *

The two girls dragged Dick off to their department, and Jason sulked off somewhere. This left Artemis alone, but she didn't mind. She was looking for an elegant dark blue dress, maybe some silver, but colors that would accent her namesake. The adult drifted through the section, trying to find the perfect gown. A few were on hangers that she let dangle on her arms, but she still didn't think they were the one. Shaking her head at that last part of her sentence, she thought rather cynically to herself. _"God Artemis, you sound like a _teenage_ girl going to prom for the first time. Get your head out of Wonderland, there's no place like that for you." _

"I think you'd look best in green, preferably emerald." a small yet sweet voice startled her out of her thoughts. Turning, she saw a pale yet cute woman, around her age, with auburn hair tied up in a bun. "Hi! I'm Megan Morse, I design some of the dresses here, plus I own it!" she stuck her hand out, which Artemis gingerly shook. "Well, partly. This is kinda my part time job, but my heart lays out my bakery." she blushed as she continued talking. "Miss Martian's? Sister store of 'Martian Manhunter's?'" Artemis dug through her memories, and briefly remembered it from somewhere.

"The uh, pizza place, right? For kids and family?" Megan's face brightened and nodded cheerfully.

"Yeah! My uncle owns that place! And with the money I obtained from 'Miss Martain's', I opened this place! It's not all that big, but, it's somethin'!" she claimed bubbly. Artemis spoke her agreement. If Dick chose this place, it had to be of nice quality. And she checked the price tags; they weren't cheap.

"Oh, I spent hours designing this dress! What do you think?" She peered affectionately at one of her dresses on the rack, pulling it out to showcase for her.

She nodded along, a fragile smile placing her lips. Megan's voice grew soft, a whole new different tone than what she was projecting before. "You know...I'm really lucky. I didn't have the best childhood, but after I came from America, my uncle took me in and helped me." she didn't look at Artemis, only delicately touching the sleeve's of an orange dress. Her story was cut short as her phone rang, and she answered it immediately. Ending the call, she gave another bright grin towards Artemis. "Well, my bakery needs me there. Don't be a stranger, okay?" Artemis blinked, knowing she didn't give the kind lady her name, but maybe she'll stop by her bakery sometime. But she was fond of her, and was happy for her.

_"Girls like that get Wonderlands. You are _not _a girl like that." _

About an hour and ten dresses later, she finally found one that suited her quite well. She took Megan's advice, and stuck with green, which she admitted looked nicer than blue or silver. A one-shoulder emerald green dress, that hugged her body and kissed the floor. A long slit that reached mid thigh showed off her tan and tone leg. She had black heels that went nicely with it, so shoes were not a problem. Dick peeked his head around the corner and whispered-yelled. "Hey Artemis, we gotta go! Have you got your dress yet?" she held it up, and he nodded. "Have you seen Jason? I can't find him anywhere!"

"Nope. Here, take my dress, go buy them. I'll look for him." she handed her dress, and went to look around the store. "Jason!" she whispered, trying to get his attention. First place she checked was the bras and panties section, but surprisingly he wasn't there. Artemis continued her search, growing irritated with the teen.

"I make this dress look good."

Artemis spun around, and almost wished she didn't have eyes. There was Jason, in a red gown with slits, posing in front of a mirror. She wanted to think, wished it was true that he knew she was there all along, and wasn't serious. She burst out laughing though, and he gave a cocky lopsided grin towards her. "C'mon, we gotta go!" she yelled at him, trying to calm her giggles. She did snap a picture of him striking a ridiculous pose though, which soon became her wallpaper.

The three girls had their dresses, a yellow bouncy dress for Cassandra, with ruffled flowers laced at the ends. For Stephanie a strapless purple dress with a sweetheart neckline, soft layers ending down to her knees. They looked adorable in them, and Artemis felt something she hasn't felt in a long time; happiness. She wanted the feeling gone quickly before she was used to it, for she knew it would only leave her again.

* * *

Dick dropped her off, walking her a few paces down the road. "So I'll pick you up here, at three? Ball starts at seven-thirty. " he reminded her.

"Yeah, thanks Dick. For everything." she punched his arm lightly. Before she knew what was happening, he pulled her in to a hug. It was nice; long and warm, but slightly uncomfortable. She awkwardly didn't hug back, but instead patted his back. "See you on Saturday."

While watching the retreating back of Dick Grayson, she wondered if this would last long. The somewhat-of-a-friendship with him, the growing bond between his family, and the life of luxury. She knew it would end soon, but she was going to make something out of it.

* * *

**FIRST THINGS FIRST. The whole Jason trying on a dress scene? yeah, that's not mine. That is from this amazing person named Gabby, who's extremely nice and has crazy awesome drawing skills. She let me put this in, so I think we should give her a round of applause, don't we? /claps  
**

**You guys can check out her tumblr here!  
**

**http: **

**al;rkhem Hey guys! c: So I updated, finally! Notice: I may not update because **

**1.)I have to update a bunch of other stuff too  
**

**2.) School is starting in less than two weeks!  
**

**So I used real dresses, but I alternated it for all of them. Like Steph's would be really short but I made it so it goes to her knees, and Artemis' slit is really high up but I changed that.  
**

**Anyways, here are the dresses!  
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**Cass: www . featurepics FI/Thumb300/20090402/Redhead-Yellow-Dress-1139335 . jpg  
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**Steph: www . bellaboutique store/images/P/lafemme-2011f-16846-Eggplant-F_p . jpg  
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**Artemis: superqueen . files . wordpress 2010/09/atelierversacefall20101 . jpg?w=490  
**

**Just remove the spaces c:  
**

**Also if you wondering Tim and Stephanie were watching Gravity Falls yeeaauuh boooyy  
**

**Guest: IM WRITING ALREADY GEEZE LOUISE  
**

**Do you have a FFnet account? If not, you should get one. If you do, you should tell me!  
**

**But seriously I think you're my number one fan you constantly review for me and nah bro I love YOU! thank you so much hun, you're what keeps me going!  
**

**HappyNeverAfter: You're so sweet I can't can I hug you? i just wanna hug you. You know what-just-/hugs-there you go. It means so much that review did it really gave me muse to write more :'D I can't say im thankful enough! And yes, I did make the client Wally, haha. I love you too hun! Have a Traught-filled day back!**

**Emma: ahah thank you! :D And did you read my mind ;D  
**

**Bam: I GIVE YOU MORE! /evily cackles  
**


	7. Author's Note

wow okay IM SO SORRY but this is an authors note. I thought Id never do this because I hate doing this but welp here i am

first things first: I AM NOT AND NEVER WILL ABANDON THIS STORY

I honestly think if I worked my hardest it can be something really amazing like where you get fanart of it all the time and drabbles from fans (( p.s. you guys should do some fanart of this story for me BEEECAAAUSE))

okay well ive just been really busy lately like school has been kicing my ass hard but high school is fun so

also, i am very erm well in an efjkdnhn state

im pretending to be happy but im not

the opposite

today i just had to put down my first my dog. the one thats supposed to be ageless

she became my best firned, and a second mother

it may seem ridiculous but you do not understand how close i was with this dog, and just watching her...pass. okay well you get the point i dont know when ill add the next chapter but

till next time lovelies~

Micchie Bea


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